The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A HOMICIDE detective is one of two witnesses left to testify in the murder trial of 25-year-old Zyndall McKinney.

Today, Inspector Antoine Rahming will give testimony concerning the recorded interview he conducted with McKinney on July 7, 2009 regarding the murder of American Anna Garrison, who was living in the Bahamas at the time of her death.

McKinney, of Marathon Estates, is accused of the 2009 murder of Ms Garrison, whose decomposed body was found wrapped in sheets on Fox Hill Road on July 4, 2009.

Ms Garrison went missing in February of that year.

The accused was originally charged along with his former girlfriend, 19-year-old Madison Pugh of Pennsylvania.

However, Pugh, the daughter of the victim, was acquitted of murder by the jury last Friday on order of Judge Roy Jones.

The jury, which had been excused for two days while attorneys and the judge held private discussions, was directed to deliver a not-guilty verdict on Ms Pugh.

The discussions in the absence of the jury - between Justice Jones, prosecutor Ambrose Armbrister and defence attorney Elliot Lockhart - were sparked by Mr Lockhart's objection to an alleged DVD recorded interview between a US policeman and Madison Pugh being admitted into evidence.

When the jury returned to court, the judge told them there was insufficient evidence in the case against Pugh and ordered them to find her not guilty.

McKinney, however, is still on trial.

Inspector Rahming was going to testify last Friday regarding his interview with the accused, however defence attorney Murrio Ducille asked for the court to deal with legal issues arising from the interview in the absence of the jury.

In court yesterday, Justice Jones said he would allow the case to continue and the homicide detective to give his evidence.

However, he did not take the stand.

Dr Caryn Sands, a pathologist at the Princess Margaret Hospital, took the witness stand instead.

The physician told the jury about her autopsy report on Ms Garrison after the body was brought to the lab. She told the court that Garrison had suffered multiple stab wounds in the black, and lost significant amounts of blood.

The trial resumes today at 10am.